All her life, Angel Dove had been used to her parents being away.
There were always business trips, endless meetings, important events. She knew her parents loved her. But love didn't always feel like enough when they were never actually there
She had been raised mostly by Nanny Margaret.
Nanny Margaret was the one who packed her school lunches, helped her with difficult homework, and stayed awake with her when she had terrible nightmares. She was the one who was always there.
It wasn't that her parents didn't try. They sent lavish gifts, they called from different time zones, and they apologized constantly. But sometimes, Angel wondered if they actually knew her favorite things, or if they only knew them because Nanny Margaret had filled them in.
She still vividly remembered her sixth birthday. Her parents had promised her faithfully, "We'll be back before your birthday, princess."
She had believed them. She wore her favorite dress, waited patiently by the window, and watched every single car that entered the long driveway. But the day slowly passed, the party started, and her parents never came. Angel had cried so hard that she refused to come downstairs, completely skipping out on blowing her own candles. That was the first birthday she spent without them.
And now, they wanted to take away the only home she had ever truly known.
Max's Room
Angel paced back and forth across the floor, tears filling her eyes as she tried desperately to hold them back.
Max stood near his desk with his arms crossed, silently watching his sister. Neither of them had spoken a word since leaving the sitting room.
Then, Angel finally broke. "How can they do this to us?" her voice cracked.
"How can they just come back after being away all the time and suddenly decide something this huge?" She wiped her tears away angrily.
"What about our friends? Our life here?"
Max stayed quiet because he completely understood.
He was just as angry. The memory of what had happened downstairs replayed vividly in his mind.
"I hope you both understand why we need to leave ," Edward's voice had been heavy and serious, a tone that immediately put Angel and Max on edge.
Victoria held her hands tightly together in her lap. "We know we haven't been around as much as we should have been."
Angel had looked away, unable to meet her gaze.
"We've always been on business trips,"
Victoria continued softly, her voice tinged with regret. "And we've spent most of our time in London."
Edward sighed, running a hand over his face. "We feel like we've missed watching you both grow up."
Angel's defensive expression had softened slightly at that, but only slightly. "Then why are you doing this?"
The room went completely quiet. Edward looked at his children, his expression resolute. "The London headquarters needs us. The company requires more direct attention."
Max immediately shook his head, his jaw tight. "No."
Edward looked at his son. "No?"
"You can't just decide something this huge without even asking us," Max said, his voice rising.
Angel nodded quickly, backing her brother up. "Exactly. You can't just wake up one day and decide to move us across the world!."
"Angel, don't raise your voice at your mother," Edward warned sternly.
"I'm not—"
"Edward," Victoria gently interrupted, placing a hand on her husband's arm. "Let her speak."
Max ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Dad, Mom... come on. You can't be serious about this.
Edward's face remained entirely calm. "We are."
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the room. Angel stared at them, her voice dropping into a quiet, hurt whisper. "So what? You just go without us?"
Victoria's expression shifted, looking deeply pain "Angel...."
"No," Angel shook her head, tears spilling over her lashes. "You don't understand. I spent my whole life here."
Edward stepped closer to her. "Sweetheart, you were born in London. You deserve to know the place you come from."
"No!" Angel's voice broke completely. "I hate this. I hate that you're forcing us to leave."
And before anyone could stop her or answer, she turned and ran out of the room.
The memory faded from Max's mind, bringing him back to the present. He looked at his sister and sighed quietly. "Angel..."
She looked up at him, her tears falling freely now. "What about Miley?"
That single question hurt the most.
Max's guarded expression softened completely. For once, he didn't tease her, and he didn't try to start an argument. He simply walked forward, closing the distance between them, and pulled his sister into a firm, protective hug.
"It'll be okay," he murmured.
Hearing those words only made Angel cry harder. She hated that he was comforting her, because Max being this nice meant that he was hurting just as badly as she was. She couldn't even begin to imagine living in another country, attending another school, or starting an entirely new life.
Up until an hour ago, she had thought the strange dreams and terrifying visions were the worst things happening to her. She had been completely wrong. This was so much worse.
Because this was real.
Eventually, sheer emotional exhaustion took over. Angel cried until her eyelids became incredibly heavy, and without even realizing it, she drifted off to sleep right there in Max's room.